/*?r^ 



F 




THE HISTOKY OF EXPLORATIONS 



IN THE 



MISSISSIPPI VALLEY, 



STEPHEN J). PEET. 



I 




Qass. 
Book 






THE HISTORY OF EXPLORATIONS 



MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. 



BY 

STEPHEN D.'PEET. 



FROM I'KOCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ANTIQUARIAN 
SOCIETY, APRIL, 1896. 



WORCESTER, MASS., U. S. A. 

PRESS OF CHARLES HAMILTON, 

3 11 Main S t ii k k t , 

189G. 



THE HISTORY OF EXPLORATIONS IN THE 
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. 



There have been three kinds of explorations in the 
Mississippi Valley since the discovery, each of which has 
contributed to a diflerent department of science ; the first 
to geography, the second to ethnology, and the third to 
archfeology. It will take some time for us to give even 
the briefest review of these explorations, and yet they so 
join together and dovetail into one another that it seems to 
be important that they should all be considered together. 
We shall therefore follow the topical, rather than the chro- 
nological order, and shall consider the results which came 
from the early explorations to the different departments, 
giving a separate division to each. 

I. We begin with the explorations which were con- 
ducted in the interests of discovery. It will be noticed 
that these were conducted by different nationalities and 
covered different periods, the nationalities generally fol- 
lowing the belts of latitude in which the mother country 
was situated. 

Such was the case with the Spanish, French and English,^ 



1 The early maps show the startling eflect of the discovery by Columbus 
upon all the nations of Europe, for voyages across the ocean were conducted 
by tiie different nationalities within the space of ten years; by the PZnglish 
under Sebastian Cabot in 1497; by the Portuguese under Ojeda in iriO'J; by the 
Spanish under Columbus and others in 1492; and by the French under Verra- 
zano as early as 150.!; but it still remains a question which one of the nationali- 
ties first reached the mainland and really discovered the continent. The fol- 
lowing maps will show the dates of the voyages of the different nationalities 
along the coast of America, the letters and figures in brackets indicating the 
pages in Winsor's " Cartier to Frontenac," on which they are found. 

" The King's Maj)." From a Portuguese Mappemonde, ir)0'2 [p. 7]. Ruysch, 
1J08, entitled Terra Saucte Crucis Sive Muudus Novus [|). Sj. Sylvanus, loll 



though there were circumstances in the later explorations 
which ultimately brought the nations into conflict with 
one another. The English,^ who had made Jamestown 
Harbor the starting-point in the south and Port Royal on 
the north, extended their possessions westward and claimed 
the belt between these two points by right of discovery and 
purchase. The French, commencing on the St. Lawrence, 
traversed the chain of the Great Lakes, but moved in a 
southwest direction, crossing the track of the English at 
the junction of the Ohio with the Alleghany, and that of 
the Spanish at the junction of the Arkansas with the 
Mississippi ; finally reaching the Gulf of Mexico at the 
mouth of the Sabine River. 

The Spanish who began exploration in Florida and the 
Gulf States extended their conquests to the Northwest, and 
claimed at one time all the territory west of the Mississippi 
River. ^ 



[p. 11]. Portuguese Chart, 1520 [p. 15]. Verrazano, 1524 [p. 17]. Maiollo, 
1527 [p. 19]. Micbael Lok, 1532 [p. 20] . Mercator, 1538 [p. 4!)]. The Cabot 
Mappemonde, 1544 [p. 44]. Ortelius, 1570 [p. G5J . Judaeis, 1593 [p. 67]. 
Quadus, ICOO [p. 68] . Hakluyt Martyr, 1587 [p. 72] . The Ottawa Route, 1642 
[p. 87]. Hudson's Bay and the St. Lawrence, 1613 [p. 110]. Visscher, 1652 
[p. 178.] Sanson, 1656 [p. 179]. Heylyn's Cosmography, 1656-62 [p. 180]. 
Blaeu, 1665 [p. 182]. Creuxius, 1660 [p. 184]. Ogilby, 1670 [p. 210]. Duvals, 
1682 [p. 216] . 

This atlas served to keep up the notion that the Ottawa and not the Niagara 
conducted Ihe waters of Lake Erie to the sea. 

iThe English under the Cabots were seeking to rival the Spaniards in their 
discovery. They made their land-fall in 1497 in the neighborhood of New 
Foundland. They also discovered at the North a gulf supposed to correspond 
with the Mexican gulf at the South, and here found an expanse of water which 
bad already coursed another great continental valley, and by which it was 
practicable to go a long distance towards the interior. 

2 It is supposed that Ojeda, the Portuguese, visited Venezuela and Brazil in 
1492; and the navigator Cortereal reached the coast of New England in 1501, 
for there is a globe which represents the name Terra Corterealis above the St. 
Lawrence, and near it the date " Anno Christi, 1501." 

The Cantino map described by M. Ilarrisse shows that the Portuguese sailed 
the whole length of the Eastern coast of North America as early as 1502, for on 
it the coast of Greenland, New Foundland, Florida, and the West coast of Gulf 
of Mexico are well depicted. 

" On the King map," " Terra Laboratoris " and " Terra Cortereal" are close 
together, showing that the Portuguese reached this point as early as 1502. 



It is remarkable that nearly all the information which we 
have about the interior and the Indian tribes there, during 
the lirst two hundred years, is from the historians of 
different nationalities, and is contained in books printed in 
different languages. To illustrate, our history of the 
southern tribes, those between the Gulf coast and the 
Appalachian Mountains, is written in Spanish ; that of the 
tribes of the Middle States, — Powhatans, Cherokees, and 
Algonquins, — is contained in English books ; that of the 
northern tribes, — Hurons, Athapascans, Algonquins and 
Sioux, including the Dakotas, — in French books. The 
later history of the Iroquois and the tribes of the interior 
was written both by English and French, the Jesuit rela- 
tions containing the largest portion of the record. 

Still, there are cross-lights ; for while the volume by 
Cabega de Vaca and that by Garci lasso de la Vega, and the 
Portuguese Narrative are still relied upon as giving the 
best picture of the southern tribes, the writings of De Bry 
and the paintings of the artist Wyeth bring before us a 
picture of the tribes who are situated on the sea-coast of 
Florida and South Carolina. The maps of Verrazano, the 
Spaniard, bring before us a picture of the tribes on the 
coast of Maine. The writings of Champlain furnish a 
picture of the Iroquois. Taking the reports by different 
nationalities we have an excellent account of the early 
condition of the various tribes, and are interested very 
much in the descriptions of them. The picture moves 
before us like a panorama. As the different expeditions 
are taken into the interior one portion after another of our 
noble continent is l)rought to view, making us feel as 
enthusiastic and exhilarated by the vision as were the 
discoverers themselves, producing upon us the same 
impression that the reading of the letters did upon the 
minds of the Europeans at the time. Each part of the 
picture i)rings before us new scenes, new costumes and 
new surroundings, and new adventures. Wo listen and 



we catch even the sounds of new languages, and find that 
there are new grammatical constructions. 

We are indebted to the explorers and travellers who 
wrote descriptions which were so vivid and gave vocabula- 
ries which are so correct. We can bear with the exaof2:er- 
ations and deceptions of some of them, who wrote of 
voyages into regions which they never reached. If the 
" long river" of Lahontan has never been identified, and the 
voyage of Hennepin to the mouth of the Mississippi has 
proved to be a deception, the descriptions of Charlevoix, 
Marquette, Joliet and La Salle, and the various mission- 
aries are still resorted to for information about the Indians 
of the interior. 

There was to be sure a great difl^erence between the 
tribes, in moral character, grade of civilization, and modes 
of life; for those of the South were mild, peaceful, given 
to agricultural employments, sedentary in their habits, and 
somewhat advanced in their grade of civilization ; those 
of the Northern States were mainly hunters, who made 
their long voyages in canoes from the distant regions of the 
west, and sought to barter their furs for the conmiodities 
brought to them from Europe. Those of the far West 
were nomads, who followed the buffalo across the prairies, 
and the elk and moose to the mountains, changing the loca- 
tion of the villages according to the seasons. Those of the 
East, especially the Iroquois, which were then situated in 
the State of New York, were the most warlike of all the 
tribes. These were the worst foes which the Indians of 
the interior had at the time, and they filled all the tribes 
of the North with great terror. Their history is a tale of 
horrors from beginning to end. Our souls are stirred 
with indignation that human beings should be given to 
such unearthly and demoniac passions. But we are, at 
the same time, full of admiration at the fortitude and 
sublime faith of the missionaries who endured so much at 
their hands. 



6 

The story of the first century reads like a romance, for 
we follow the explorers through the Southern States and 
across the flowing rivers. But in the second the forests 
of the north are full of tragedy. It is like turning from 
Homer to ^Eschylus, from Chaucer to Shakespeare, from 
the days of Warren Hastings to the terrible tragedies 
under General Havelock, from the days of Admiral 
Coligny to the deeds of Robespierre. The cruelty of the 
savage Iroquois was greater, and the sufferings of their 
victims more intense, than had ever been recorded. These 
turn the history which began with peaceful conquests, 
interesting adventures and important discoveries, into a 
record of cruel slaughter, base treachery, and appalling 
torments. Treachery, however, was not confined to the 
hearts of the savages, for the ill-fated La Salle, after endur- 
ing all the discouragement and defeat which the deceit and 
treachery of his enemies could bring upon him, finally 
perished at the hands of his own followers, and his body 
was left to rot in a nameless grave amid the wild scenes 
on the Sabine River. His fleet was destroyed, his army 
scattered, and only the faithful friend, Tonty, with the 
iron hand, was left to tell the story of his tragic end. 

The result of these early explorations and voj'ages was, as 
we have said, to increase the knowledge of the geographical 
features of the continent, both in its contour and interior. 
A general acquaintance with the Indian tribes was also 
gained, and especially those situated along the sea-coast 
and near the rivers, for it was by voyaging, either in sail 
vessels or in canoes, that explorers, traders, and mission- 
aries made their distant expeditions. It would be inter- 
esting to follow up the routes taken by the different parties 
and quote the descriptions of the scenes through which they 
passed, for by these means we should realize what their first 
impressions were. It may be said, however, that the 
explorers who waded through the immense swamps, 
threaded the dense forests, and crossed many waste places, 



were not so much interested in the natural scenery as they 
were in escaping the danger which hirked everywhere. The 
forests were high and the rivers were large, and everything 
was new and strange, yet the adventurers had been through 
scenes that were grander and forests that were wilder than 
these. While there were large fields of maize from which 
provisions for the men and horses could be foraged, yet the 
villages were palisaded and were to be taken after much 
conflict and bloodshed. They were told that there was gold 
among the mountains, and they turned aside from their 
route to reach them. It was there that the queen of the 
forest came forth in her canopied canoe. After that there 
were many rivers to be crossed, and new means of crossing 
them must be devised. The most notable event was that 
the greatest river of all, the noble Mississippi, furnished a 
burial-place for their leader, the renowned De Soto, whose 
name is known to history but affixed to no important 
stream, or city, or province. Even in the later explora- 
tions, when the Northern regions were to be traversed, the 
scenery came before the voyagers by slow degrees. The 
great rivers were open to their vessels and the smaller rivers 
to their canoes ; but the cataract which is one of the wonders 
of the world at first escaped notice. It was known only 
by the reports which came from the savages. Though 
its roar was heard in the distance they did not turn aside 
from their path to visit it. The chain of the Great Lakes ^ 



1 A map iu the Marine at Paris [1642] has the different nationalities as 
stretched aloni? the coast in the following order : "Cap Breton," " L'acadia," 
" Nouvelle Anj^le Terra," "Lan Ilollande," " Lan Suede," " La Virginie," La 
Floride." On this map are the St. Lawrence River, '* Lac Champlain," *' Lac 
Ontario," " Lac P]rie," " Lac des Hurons," " Lac Supeurieur," and two small 
lakes near " Lac Francois " and " Lac Louis " adjoining the mouth of the 
Ottawa River. It represents the Ottawa Route. This is one of the earliest 
maps that gives the chain of the Great Lakes or any approach to the Mississippi 
Valley. 

Sanson's map, 1656, represents the Northern part of the Mississippi Valley. 
In it the lakes are tolerably correct, but the Mississippi River and the Ohio are 
not laid down. A river flows North into Lac Des Puans or Green Bay. 
Heylyn's cosmography, 1656, represents the Mexican Gulf with several rivers 
flowing into it. But a single lake said to be three hundred miles long and a 
single river flowing into the St. Lawrence in place of the chain of Great 
Lakes. 



8 

stretched from the deep interior to the sea, connecting 
the head-waters of the Mississippi with the mouth of the 
St. Lawrence with a single chasm to brealc the chain, but 
it was link by link that it became known, and even then 
portions were supposed to be disconnected, the impression 
having been formed that the outlet was by the Ottawa 
River rather than by the Niagara, and that Lake Erie 
flowed north and west and not toward the Falls. Not until 
the time when the ill-fated La Salle launched his famous 
vessel, the Griffon, on the river above the Falls and began 
his long voyage to the land of firs and forests, did the full 
sense of the length and breadth of the inland seas come 
before his mind. Not until after suffering the great loss 
caused by the wreck of the famous vessel and the blasting 
of his hopes, did he begin to realize that its boundless shores 
could be a hiding-place for his enemies, and that their 
treachery could follow him to the remotest villages of the 
Indians. These waters which are so restless and majestic 
in their sweeping currents were not grander than the spirit 
of the great explorer who first traversed them. It requires 
a comprehensive view such as can be gained by the rapid 
passage in modern times to get a full sense of the majesty 
of these great Lakes and the wonders of the regions 
through which they flow. The work of tracing the routes 
which were followed and identifying the places where 
they stopped, remains for those who admire their exploits 
and cherish their memories. There were anticipations 
which nerved the first cxi)lorers. Rumors came to them 
that there were rivers which led to the South Seas, and it 
was a constant hope with the travellers that by some means 
they might cross the barriers of land and mountain and 
reach the fiirther India, which was the object of search 
with Columbus, the first discoverer. It took a long time 
for the mistaken notion that America was only a part of 
Asia to pass away.^ The fact that it was a continent by 
1 A globe made by Fninciscus Monachiis, 1526, unmistakably represents N. 



9 

itself gradually dawned upon the mind, and then the valley 
became the most prominent part of the continent.^ There 
were, to be sure, rivers which were remote from the chosen 
routes, and large forests which were not visited by the 
explorers, and numerous villages of which nothing was 
known until nearly three hundred years after the dis- 
covery. We refer now to the forests along the Ohio River 
and the Cumberland Valley, which afterward proved to be 
so rich in al)original remains, showing that it was once 
tilled with a teeming population, and abounded with villages 
which were advanced in their type of architecture and art. 
The Ohio River flowed through this region, and yet, for 
nearly two hundred and fifty years very little was written 
concerning it or its resources ; in fact, the veil of obscurity 
is scarcely drawn until the time of the settlement under 
Boone, Harrod, and other hardy adventurers. We read 
about the conquests of Mexico and Peru under the Span- 
iards with great interest. We follow the route taken by 
Coronado in 1536 to the north of Mexico into New Mexico 
and Colorado, and learn about the fiimous cities of Cibola. 



America as part of Asia [See " Cartier to Frontenac " p. 22]. Mr. Winsor 
remarks that it is thought Ruysch used Columbus's drafts. These two maps 
show the ignorance as to the American coast, and perpetuate the error into 
which Columbus fell at the beginning, and which he never corrected in his 
life— that America was an extension of Asia. There is on Kuysch's map the 
island of Java, which is one of the East Indies ; but it is in the same ocean with 
the island of Hayti, which is one of the West Indies. 

The map of Maiollo, 1527, represents "Francesca" along the New England 
coast, " Tera Florida " on the Gulf of Mexico. "Terra Nova descoverta per 
Christofaro Colurabo" in the neighborhood of Venezuela, and "SpagnoUa" 
on the island of Hayti. 

The " Sea of Verrazauo " appears on all of the early maps from 1524 to 
1582, including one by Verrazano, 1524, Maiollo, 1527, Michael Lok, 15S2, some- 
times called " Mare Indicum," and sometimes called " Mare de Verazana." It 
occupies the same place as the Mississippi Valley. 

1 Ortelius's map, 1570, is one of the earliest to give the continent of America 
correctly. On this map the title, " America Sive India Nova," stretches across 
the northern part of the continent, and " Nova Francia" appears above the St. 
Lawrence, "B'lorida" in its proper place, "Hispania" across Mexico, 
'•Quivira" on the Northwest coast, "Chilaga" in the neighborhood of Lake 
Superior, but Peru and Hrazil in their proper place, "Caribana" on the 
northern coast of S. America. 



10 

We even pass over the mountains and enter the prairies of 
the far West, and get a glimpse of that mysterious region 
called Quivira. We pass up the Ottawa River with the 
Jesuit missionaries and reach the head-w-aters of Lake 
Superior, cross to the St. Croix River and visit St. 
Anthony's Falls. We go down the Mississippi River to its 
mouth and learn about the people situated on cither bank. 
But that region which had been drained by the beautiful 
Ohio and its branches, remained terra incognita. Even 
up to the time when Washington visited the head-waters 
of the river, and passed up to Presque Isle on the 
shores of Lake Erie, this was ever debatable ground, 
claimed by different tribes of Indians and yet coveted by 
the white men.^ We know next to nothing of the changes 
which took place or even of the trade which was conducted 
with the native population, and archaiologists are accord- 
ino-ly at a loss to explain certain things which have come to 
light in modern times, and which some think were pro- 
duced by the natives after they had had contact with the 
whites. The supposition is that there were Spanish miners 
in the mountains of North Carolina, as there were French 
miners on the south shore of Lake Superior. But it is 
difficult to distinguish between the metal relics which may 
have been manufactured by white men and traded to the 
Indians, from those which were of purely aboriginal origin. 
Copper relics have been exhumed from mounds in the very 
heart of the State of Ohio which seemed to bear the 
impress of the ^white man's touch ; but the diflSculty is to 
trace the history of these regions of the interior so as to 
know how early trading-stations were established, and how 
soon the Indians began to use the articles manufactured by 
the white man. The southern shore of Lake Eric was also 



lOnc reason for tlie i',Mionincc' of the Ohio Kivcr W!i8 that the orif,'inal inhab- 
itimtH liad been driven out by tlie Iroquois in the period wiiich ehipsed 
between the diseovery by Columbus and the exidoration by La Salle. The 
IrofjUoiM were friendly to tlie En^'lish and hostile to the Freneli, and so kept 
the Freueb e.\i>lorers from this region. 



11 

to remain little known for a long time. The terror of the 
Iroquois had made it an unattractive wilderness, and no 
one dared follow the footsteps of La Salle athwart the 
region. The French had constructed a stockade at Oui- 
tanon on the north bank of the Wabash, but had not dared 
to establish a single post east of the Maumee, for the Con- 
federates Avere still holdinsj the reo;ion between Lake Erie 
and the Ohio River, this region having been derelict since 
the time of the destruction of the Eries in 1G50. 

II. There are also Ethnological problems which are to 
be solved by the history of exploration in the Mississippi 
Valley. We have not time to mention all of the problems, 
but will only state that it was through these explorations 
that the location of the different tribes came to be 
known and their affinities were discovered. It appears that 
there were several great stocks scattered over the Missis- 
sippi Valley, dividing it into districts, which can now be 
easily traced by certain definite lines, thus making a lin- 
guistic map out of the very geographical territory which 
had been traversed. This map has been a varying one, 
for the tribes have changed their location with every 
successive period of American history. Still the tribes 
continued to cluster into the same groups, for the different 
stocks as they change their territory were massed together 
and were settled down in the great provinces, which became 
afterward States, the boundaries of these States having been 
formed long before the date of history. 

We go to the maps for our knowledge of all the changes 
which took place whether among the Indian tribes or among 
the European claimants. The maps are, to be sure, covered 
with names and v;ith inscriptions which reveal the struggles 
for possession among the different European nationalities, 
but they are also covered with Indian names which reveal 
to us the location of Indian tribes and villages. They do 
not seem like maps of America, but rather like the maps of 
some foreign country ; for they are printed in diflerent 



12 




' I Iciiiicpiirs map, 1(W;!. represents the lukcs with toliTiibk" correctness liut willi 
dilViiciit nitnies, viz. : Lake Frontenac, Lac Do Conty ou Eric, Lac IVOrleans 
oil Huron, Lac Danpiiin on Illinois, Lac de Condeon Sui)erienr ; the Mis>is>iiipi 
Kiver appears nnder the name of 1^ Colbert, and the Illinois under the name of 
Seigueiuu, but the Ohio River docs uotappcur and the lower Mississippi is a mere 



13 

languages, — English, Dutch, French and Spanish, — with the 
Indian names and the names of the rivers all spelt differ- 
ently. What is more, the territory of the Indian tribes 
varies according to the European nationality which made 
the map. The English, who claimed the Iroquois for their 
allies, extended the Iroquois territory from the mouth of the 
Mohawk on the Hudson River to the mouth of the Ohio, and 
even down the Mississippi as far as the Gulf of Mexico ;^ 



dotted line. This is one of the earliest maps to represent the Mississippi Valley, 
and evidently came from the explorations by La Salle. Still Joliet's larger map, 
1674, contains the lakes, the upper part of the Mississippi River, the rive de 
Misconsing, riv de la Divine [Illinois] ; also a river supposed to be the Ohio, on 
which is the inscription : Biviere par ou descendit le Sieur de la Salle au 
sortir du lac Erie i^our aller dans le Mexique, Such are the maps which 
show the gradual acquaintance with the Mississippi Valley which resulted 
from the various explorations. 

1 There is some reason to suppose from Sajason^s map that the Maumee had 
been explored as early as 1650.. In 1714, Crozat's agents found mines in south- 
eastern Missouri, and got their supplies from the Illinois country. De la Tour 
sent explorers four hundred miles up the Alabama above the Coosa and Talla- 
poosa, who established a fort called Fort Toulouse. Crozat's agents built a 
storehouse near Nashville, on a mound, where they traded with the Shawnees, 
A party left Kaskaskia in 1703 to explore the Missouri ; and in 1705 some miners 
built a fort on the Missouri above the Osage. 

Mitchell, the geographer, claimed that the Six Nations extended tbeir terri- 
tory to the river Illinois ever since 1672, and had incorporated the ancient 
Shawnees and the Chaouanons, besides which they exercised a right of conquest 
over the Illinois and the Mississippi as far as they extended. (Ibid., p. 237.) 

In Coxe's Carolina we have a description of the territory on either side of the 
Mississippi River from the mouth to St. Paul, with the resources of the country 
pretty clearly described, the object of the book being to encourage English 
trade with the tribes situated in the region. AVe tind a description of the region 
on the Cumberland River. 

But the Foxes, who had been overthrown at Detroit, were soon waylaying 
the French traders at the Green Bay portage. The Fox and Wisconsin Rivers 
had been well-nigh deserted, but the older portages by the Maumee and Wabash 
had come into use, and Vincennes was a recognized station. (Ibid., p. 118.) 

The portages south of the Chicago River, by way of the Kankakee and the 
Dcs Plaines, and by the St. Joseph River, were kept open. Charlevoix went by 
St. Joseph and Ivankakee to the south. The Miami confederacy, situated upon 
the Wabash, had put 3,000 warriors into the field as a check upon the Iroquois. 
{Ibid., p. 26.) 

The Jesuits were among the Illinois tribes as early as 1680, and the Carmel- 
ites and Capuchins among the tribes from Alabama to the Red River as far 
north as Natchez. Tlie Mississippi became the great highway of the church. 
Iberville had established a settlement at Natchez called Rosalie; but Bienville, 
his brother, led an expedition against two villages of the Natchez in 1723, and 



14 



and made maps with a legend written over the prairies of Illi- 
nois, " this was the place where the English hunted cows." 
The French, on the other hand, based their claims on the 
voyages of the French missionaries and the explorations of 
the French traders. And so they gave the French names 
to the same regions. 



^/,et^G^.acva>^^ 




JoLiiyr's Mai> of tiik Mississum-i Kivhu. Fkom AVinsou's 
" Caktikk to Fkontexac." p. 245. 



One of the earliest maps wliich gives the Mississippi River entire is this by 
Joliet, 1(173. On this the laiies are all represented witli tolerable eorreetness as 
well as tiie rivers and the gulf eoast, but they bear Indian and French names 
mingled; the provinces having the Spanish, French, English, and Swedish 
names according to the nationality that settled them. The Ohio River docs not 
appear on this map, but does on the larger map by Joliet, i)ublished soon after. 



prepared the way for the fearful outbreak and the war of extermination whidi 
followed soon after. The French established a fort at tlie mouth of Fox 
River. {Ibid., \). Vil.) 

Jlitchell's map of the British colonies, 17")o, shows the route of Col. Welch 
to the Mississippi in 1G9S, since followed by our traders. The Chicasaws in 
alliance and subjection to the English. Chicasaw towns and English factories, 
the extent of the Knglish settlements, arc placed SoO miles west of Charleston, 
South Carolina. The trail crosses the head-waters of all the streams and strikes 
the following villages: Ockfuskee, Coussa, also Tapouchas. 



15 

The Indian names are applied to rivers, lakes, waterfalls, 
and natural scenery, some of which have been retained 
and are very euphonious and suggestive. Ontario, Huron, 
Michigan being the names of lakes; Illinois, Wisconsin, 
Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, being 
the names of rivers ; Omaha, Milwaukee, Kishwaukee, 
being Indian names applied to villages or cities. 

We notice here the difference in the names given by Euro- 
pean explorers, for the missionaries applied the names of 
their saints, while the traders gave only the names of their 
own heroes and leaders. In this way we have St. Paul, 
St. Louis, St. Marie, and St. Croix in different localities ; 
but in others we read the names of Duluth, La Salle, 
Marquette, and Nicolet. The English generally gave the 
names of their kings and queens to the colonies on the sea- 
coast, but allowed Indian names to be retained by the 
mountains and rivers of the interior. The names of States, 
later on, were taken from the tribes who were supposed to 
have occupied and possessed them from time immemorial. 

We are gaining in various ways a knowledge of the 
aboriginal trade^ during this period, and more especially by 



1 There had been an intermittent trade carried on with them for three-quar- 
ters of a century. New Yorii was already pressing her claims over the remote 
regions beyond the forks of the Alleghanies. She held that the parliamentary 
acts of 1024 had made this region crown lands. The Delawares had begun to 
follow the game over the mountains, and the Pennsylvania pack-men were not 
far behind; though they encountered the Frenchmen on the Alleghanies. 

Charlevoix spent a month in Kaskaskiu, October and November, 1721. In 
passing down the river, he saw the vast meadows covered with herds of buffalo. 
He passed Fort Chartres (which was founded in 1720), and remarked how the 
increasing settlements between the Fort and Kaskaskia were beginning to look 
like a continuous village. 

The French built a fort at the mouth of the Arkansas to protect the line of 
communication between New Orleans and Kaskaskia. A crowd of palisaded 
cabins soon sprang up on the spot where Joutel, escaping from the assassins of 
La Salle, had come so happily upon some of Tonty's men. 

The Jesuits were among the tribes of the Illinois. The Iroquois were a bar- 
rier of defence between the English, in Maryland and Virginia, and the French, 
and had prevented them from making a descent that way. In 1701, the Lieut.- 
Qovernor of New York entered into a treaty with the Confederates at Albany, 
by which the region north of the Ohio and stretching to the Illinois River was 



16 

the study of the relics which are being exhumed from time 
to time. It is by this means, and by the study of journeys 
and trading-expeditions which are not prominent, that cer- 
tain tril)es who dwelt in the interior have become known. 
To illustrate : Relics have been discovered during the last 
year at Willoughby, Ohio, and have been placed in the 
Western Reserve Historical Society, at Cleveland, which 
help to solve the problem as to the Eries, who were blotted 
out by the Iroquois. These relics are composed of pipes, 
pottery, and bone needles, and resemble those which are 
found on the Iroquois territory. The portraits on the pipes 
resemble Iroquois faces. This proves that the Eries ^ 
belonged to the same stock as the Iroquois, and corres- 
ponds with the tradition that they were destroyed by that 



ceded to the English king. {See Winsor^s M. B., p. 67.) From this time on 
trading-posts were established in Ohio mainly by the English. Still it was in 
dispute until after the French and Indian war. There is a map contained in 
Winsor's " The Mississippi Basin," page 242, which gives the location of the 
trading-stations and Indian trails as well as forts. In this the names are ex- 
pressive. Names are as follows : Logstown near Fort Du (^uesnc. Three-legs 
on the Muskingum River, White-woman's on the Licking, French Margarets on 
the Hocking, Hurricane Toms on the Scioto, Junundat on the Sandusky, built 
in 1754. 

The Mascoutens and Kickapoos, in 172(5, i)ut a stop to the Green Bay portage. 
De Lignery succeeded in bringing the Foxes to a peace, and they agreed to 
spare as allies of the French, the Illinois. Father Guignas and Boucher de la 
Perriere built a stockade on Lake Pepin, and called it Fort I?eauharnois. It 
was the first settlement on the Mississipjii north of the Illinois. 

The Carolina traders had i)Ut up two booths on the Wabash, and rumors 
reached Kaskaskia that other stations had been established further up the Ohio. 
The English were haunting the upper waters of the Wabash and trading 
among tlie Miamis. M. Vincennes, who was among the Miamis, was prepared 
to repel the English if they approached. The country of Illinois was added to 
Louisiana in 1717. The waning power of the Iroquois, and the coming of the 
Delawares and the Shawnees into the Ohio Valley, had permitted the French to 
conduct more extensive explorations. {Ibid., p. 14S.) 

1 As to the location of the lories the two maps given witli this paper are sug- 
gestive; namely, the map of Dr. Smith, 1720, and the map of Vander Aa, 1750. 
On both of these maps the Oniasontke or Nation du Chat are placed on the 
Ohio liiver, a little below Lake Erie, which was formerly called Lac de Y(-\\s or 
du Chat. 



FitoM Wixsou's " MississTPPi Basix.' 




Mai' i»y Dk. Jamks Smith, London, 1720. 



From AYinsor's " Mississippi Basin.' 




Showing Location of Indian Tribes. 



20 

cruel and aggressive people.^ We must go far back of 
the period when the Jesuit missionaries were among the 
Hurons, to find the time when the Hurons, Eries, and Iro- 
quois were at peace with one another and filled the entire 
region from the St. Lawrence to the St. Clair Rivers, and 
occupied both sides of the two great lakes, — Lake Ontario 
and Lake Erie. At that time the Algonquins were divided 
into four parts. Those in New England on the east, the 
Delawares and Powhatans on the south, the Miamis and 
Illinois on the west, the Ojibways and Athapascans on the 

" Dr. James Smith's map 1720, gives the natural features correctly ; the lakes, 
the rivers, the gulf coast, and the sea coast. It also gives the Indian tribes 
as they were located at tliis time." The Oniasontkc or Nation du Chat on tiie 
Ohio River; the " Tionontatecaga who inhabit in caves to defend themselves 
from the great heat," on the Tennessee, villages of the Chicachas, villages of the 
Shawnees [Chaouenons] and also of the Taogarias, villages of the Caskinampos 
[the CaskigheJ on the Cumberland; villages of the Chaouenons on the Santee 
River. The Cherokees [Chaiaque] and the Apalachians [Apalaehe] on the 
Apalache River villages of the Choctaws [Chactas] or Flat Head Indians; 
also village of Chicachas on the head waters of the Mobile; vilUiges of the 
Natchez, also of the Colapissas and the Taeusa, on the Lower Mississippi; 
village of Tamoroa and of the Illinois and Kahokia near the mouth of the 
Missouri River; the Kicapou on the Illinois River, the Mascoutcns on the Rock 
River, the Miamis on Miami River, the Usages on Osage River and an inscrip- 
tion on the Illinois as follows: "The Matigamea formerly lived here." 
Another inscription on the Tennessee River, is as follows : " The road the 
French take to go to Carolina." This map and the following one indicate the 
state of the country the location of the Indian villages at the time of the first 
permanent settlement of the Mississippi Valley. 



1 The map based on d'Anville, published by Vander Aa, IToS, contains the 
long river of l^a Hontan, near It a river supposed to flow to the "West Sea. It 
also gives the five Great Lakes under their present names; the Ohio River 
under the name Oubache; the Mississippi and Missouri and Illinois under their 
present names. It represents the location of the Indian tribes as they were at 
this time. The Oltawas [or Outaouacs] on both sides of Lake Superior. The 
Sioux at the head waters of the Mississippi. The Foxes, or Nation des Ren- 
ards, on the Wisconsin River; The Nation du Feu, or Kickapoos, west of Lake 
Michigan; The Miamis, south of the lake; The Illinois on the Illinois River; 
villages of the Michigamias [Matisgamea] below the Illinois. Village Des 
Sauteurs near Saut St. Marie, the Mississague above Lake Huron, the Nation 
Du Chat, south of Lake Krie, the Andastogues on the Alleghany River, and a 
tribe called Les Oniasontkc on the upper Ohio River, and the Iroquois Just 
below the Lake Ontario. There are two forts on the map; fort de Sasqua- 
hanong on the Susquehanna Uiver and fort St. Louis called fort Crevc Occur 
on the Illinois River. 



21 

north. The great Dakota tribe, called the Sioux, were 
situated to the west of the Mississippi River and occupied 
the States which have since borne their name ; the lowas 
being but a tribe of the Dakotas, and the Missouris, Kaws, 
or Kansas, constituting a branch of the same stock. 

The exploration of this entire region revealed the loca- 
tion of the various tribes or families of Indians which 
were the first possessors of the soil, but this is a chapter 
of our history of which we know but little. The names of 
the Indian tribes have fortunately been given to the States 
which have been hewn out of the Northwest Territory ; 
Algonquin names having been affixed to the States east of 
the Mississippi, the Dakota names to those west of the 
Mississippi, and the names of other tribes to those that 
were farther west and south. 

There were great changes among them before the time 
of the discovery and the settlement by the whites. There 
was, however, one tribe which was constantly on the 
move, — the tickle wanderers called Shawnees. The evi- 
dence is that they were Algonquins, and at an early date 
they passed down from the north through Illinois into 
Kentucky and Tennessee, and across the Cumberland Moun- 
tains to the coast of Florida and South Carolina, where 
they came in contact with tribes of the Dakotas and of the 
Iroquois who had branched off from the parent stock during 
the time of the prehistoric migrations, and finally reached 
their stopping-place in the southeast corner of the moun- 
tain region. The Shawnees turned this corner, and began 
wandering north until they reached the Delawares on the 
Delaware River. Joining with them they turned back 
toward their old seats, and are found again in the opening 
of history on the Ohio River. The Shawnees have left 
their names on certain rivers and trading-posts in Ohio, 
Kentucky, Illinois, South Carolina, and even in Wisconsin. 
But they have made great havoc with the records of other 
tribes, and have brought terrible confusion into the archai- 



22 

ology of the entire region. Their wanderings cover a 
period of two hundred 3'ears, the most of them after the 
date of discovery. And yet, so little is known of them, 
that it is almost impossible to say to a certainty what relics 
were left and what mounds, if any, were built by them. 

The stone graves near Nashville and the stone graves 
found in the Etowah mound, also stone graves in Ohio and 
Illinois, have been ascribed to them ; but the relics found 
in these different States are as different as those which 
belong to difierent nationalities, and so the archaeological 
record is very confused. The same uncertainty exists in 
reference to the ('hcrokees.^ They are supposed to be the 
Allighewis of tradition. The story is, that the Iroquois 
and the Dela wares migrated late in the prehistoric period 
from the north or from the west. They crossed a great 
river, and finally united in the effort to expel the Allighewis, 
who dwelt in fortified cities or towns and were permanently 
established. After long contests they drove them from 
their seats, and took possession of their territory. This is 
the record which has gone into history. It is not tradition 
merely, but it is history. The explorers have not been 
able to identify exactly the river that was crossed, nor tell 
where the contest occurred, or even decide where the 
walled towns were situated, though the supposition is that 
southern Ohio is the place where they dwelt. It is on this 
supposition that Dr. Thomas has based his theory that they 



1 There were chau<?es in the location of the Chcrokeos between tlie times 
of the discovery iuul the explorations of tlie Ohio Valley, but the first 
record of the tribe locates them amonij the mountains of North and South 
Carolina. There were also changes, according to tradition, among the Dako- 
tas, but tlie date is supposed to have been before tlie discovery. The Ohio 
lliver seemed to have been the migration route for the Indian tribes, though it 
is uncertain as to the starling-jioiiit of some of the tribes, for the first that is 
known of the Dakotas or Sioux is that they were situated east of the Alle- 
glianies on the Ohio River and were moving westward. The first that is known 
of the Iroquois they were on the St. Lawrence and were moving southward, 
while the Delawares and other Algonquin tribes were situated north and west 
of the " Great River," which may have been the Mississippi, and were moving 
eastward. 



23 

were the original Mound Builders ; leaving out of the 
account the fact that other tribes, such as the Dakotas and 
Delawares, have traditions that they also occupied the 
same region. The question now before the archtBologists is 
one of dates, for there are diflerent horizons showing that 
different tribes traversed the same region. ^ But the task is 



iThe discoveries in the interior are also illustrated by the various maps. 
These followed in the order of time the discoveries on the coast; and yet they 
overlap them, so that the same maps may be used twice. There are many col- 
lections of maps which illustrate the progress of these discoveries. One in the 
Library of Harvard College; another in the State Library at Albany; another 
in the Library of Congress at Washington; another owned by the Ameiican 
Geographical Society. There is also a fine collection at Cleveland, which was 
gathered at a great expense by Judge Charles C. Baldwin, now deceased. 

The maps which illustrate the location of the Indian tribes as well as the 
claims set up by the different nationalities to the Mississippi Valley are quite 
numerous; several of them are reproduced by Winsor in his "Mississippi 
Valley^" as follows : 1. A map of the French settlement in North America, by 
Thomas Kitchin, in London Magazine for December, 1747. This is one of the 
best maps of the interior, for it represents the location of the Indian tribes, 
Apalaches, Taensas, Tonicas, Natchez, Yasous, Tchactas [Choctaws] , Arkan- 
sas, Tchicachas [ChicasawsJ, Cheraquis [Cherokees] , Chouanons [Shawnees], 
Eries, Illinois, Tamarois, Cascaquias [Kaskaskias], Mascoutius [Mascoutens] , 
les Renero [Foxes], Miamis, Hurons, Iroquois, Outaouais [Ottawas], Abena- 
kis, Etchemins. 

2. Coxe's map of Carolana, published in 1722. The history of this map is as 
follows : Dr. Daniel Coxe bought the patent of Carolana, and in 1698 sent a Col. 
Welch to explore the country, fitted out two armed ships with a company 
of French Huguenots with the object of settling somewhere on the Mississippi. 
His son published a book in 1722 describing the country in the interior, and 
asserting priority of English explorations to the French. These two maps are 
the result. 

3. Bowen & Gibson's " North America," London, 17(33. This shows the 
country which was conquered by the Iroquois and so brought under the control 
of the English. This map gives the country of the Choctaws, Chicasaws, 
Creeks and Alibamons. The upper section shows the country of the Illinois, 
Mascoutius, Miamis, Twightwees. The title, " Conquered country by the Iro- 
quois," extends from the north shore of Lake Huron to New Orleans; " which 
by deed of sale they surrendered to Ye Crown of Great Britain in 1701 and 
renewed in 1720 and 1744." 

On this map we notice the following: " The Natchez are allies of the Eng- 
lish." "The Tennessee is called the Cherakee or Hogohegee river." "Tan- 
nassec an English factory and Telliko factory" on the head-waters of the river, 
" Walker settlement " (1750) situated on the Cumberland River. The " Shaw- 
noes" are on the Ohio River, and " Shawnoah an English factory " is located on 
the Sciota River, and an English fort and settlement, 1740, 150 miles from the 
Ohio River among the Pickawallanees near Piqua. The Pouteuatamis are situ- 



24 

to identify the tribes in the relics and decide upon the 
succession. 

III. This leads us to the last point which we shall con- 
sider ; namely, the archaeological results which have fol- 
lowed the exploration of the Mississippi Valley. It is 
plain that the results have been valuable for they have 
had the effect to correct some of the false theories, solve 
some of the difficult problems and secure a positive advance 
of the science of archaeology. We do not need to go over the 
problems or mention all of the theories which have prevailed, 
but will only say that there were many false theories as to 
the peopling of this continent ; the theory that the lost 
tribes were to be found here being the most prominent and 
the most misleading. Another theory was that America 
was the seat of a very high grade of civilization, and that 
specimens of writing and art were likely to be found which 
would prove a connection between the ancient people of 
the Mississippi Valley and the ancient races of the East. 
This theory has been exploded ; and yet no one has so far 
been able to define exactly the stage of culture which the 
different tribes had reached ; for some will class them all 
with the rudest savages, making no distinction between the 
relics and works of the Mound Builders and those of the 
wild Indians, while others claim for them a grade of 
progress which was higher and better than that which pre- 
vailed among the Indians known to history. This fact 
comes out more and more as we study the testimony of 
the explorers. 

We may say here, second, that the period which inter- 
vened between the early explorations and the early settle- 

iiUnl at tlic soiitli ciul of Lake Micliifjaii or Illiiioi.s. Fort Detroit is located on 
the St. Clair River. " Eries were extirpated by the I rocjuois above a century 
pa.st from wliicb time they Iiave l)een in possession of Lalvc Erie." 

4. Witeliell's niiii», 177"), of Tlic British Colonies. This shows "Walker's," 
and "the extent of the English settlements," 1750; "Tclliquoan English fac- 
tory"; " (^uanessee, English factory"; "Deserted Cherokee settlements" on 
the Tennessee River and amonj; the mountains below the river. The traders' 
routcH in eastern Kentucky and Tennessee are also laid down. 



25 

ments was filled with events which have few records, except 
those found in the traditions of the aborigines, or in the rel- 
ics hidden within the mounds, or the testimony of travellers 
and traders. From these three sources, we hope, ultimately, 
to make out the history of the Mississippi Valley, but we 
must embrace all under the department of archeology and 
look to the progress of this science to clear up things which 
are now obscure. We search the military records to learn 
about the history of the forts. The treaties with the Indi- 
ans and the fragmentary history of the trading-stations 
and factories need to be examined, for we have a long 
period of Indian occupation sandwiched in between the 
early days of the explorers and the days of the first 
settlers. We call this the "Indian Period," as we call the 
period before the discovery, the " Mound Builders' Age," 
or, the prehistoric period ; but we include both of these 
under the one department of archseology. 

It is unfortunate that the Protestant missionaries and the 
English traders have not left a better record, for it is much 
easier now to find the traces of military occupation than it 
is to find the sites of the Indian villages.^ The visit of 
Jonathan Carver to the village of the Fox Indians in 
Wisconsin, the journey of Gen. Pike to the head-waters 
of the Minnesota Eiver, and again to the peak which bears 
his name, the route taken by Gen. Long and his party, and 
by Lewis and Clark in their distant journey across the 



1 The maps which may aid the arch;cologists in identifying the trading-posts 
which were established by the diflerent nationalities, several of which are 
found in Mississippi Basin by Wiusor, are as follows: Homanu, 1720 [p. 92]. 

Law's Louisiana, 172 [p. 100]. Sayer and Jeft'ery's, [p. 117]. The Illinois 

country, 177G [p. 119]. Dr. James Smitli's map, London, 1720 [p. 142]. 
Vangondy's, 1750 [p. 205]. Charlevoix, 1746 [p. 215]. Thomas Kitchin's, 1747 
[p. 226]. Lewis Evans, 1758 [p. 244-5] , showing the trails and trading-points 
and portages in Ohio. Andrew's map, London, Indian Paths in Ohio, 178^ 
[p. 247]. Adair's map of the Indian Nations, 1775 [p. 262]. Dumont's map of 
the Chicasaw and Choctaw country [p. 265]. Covens et Mortier, 1758 [p. 275]. 
Mitchell's map, 1775 [p. 28U] . I'ownall, 1776 [p. 30o]. I5owcn <fc Gibson's 
map, 1763 [p. 328]. 



26 

Rocky Mountains, have all been written about, and the 
localities identified. These help us to trace the history of 
the Indians back over the period which preceded, and 
identify the mounds which they noticed and made a record 
of. And yet, it remained for a different kind of explora- 
tion to fill up the details and make the record complete, — 
that kind of exploration which resulted in a description of 
the Indians and their villages, and especially of the mounds 
and earthworks. 

If we go to the descriptions of Bartram, the botanist, and 
of Adair, the Indian agent, we shall find many customs of 
the Indians described; and we may suppose that they are 
the same which existed at the time of the Spaniards, two 
hundred years before. And yet, the testimony comes from 
these writers that the Indians known to history were not the 
original occupants. Such, also, is the testimony of mission- 
aries. Rev. Elias Cornelius, who was afterwards secretary 
of the A. B. C. F. M., says : " When I visited the famous 
Etowah mound the Cherokee chiefs who attended me all 
declared that these were not built by their ancestors, and 
they know nothing about the people who built them." Col. 
Charles C. Jones, who has written a very interesting book 
on the "Antiquities of the Southern Indians, particularly 
of the Georgia Tribes," and who was familiar with a great 
many of the old writers, seems to think that the Indians 
built the earthworks ; and yet he quotes the language of 
Bartram, who says: "I am convinced that the chunky 
yards now, or lately in use among the Creeks are of very 
ancient date, — not the formation of the present Indians.'' 
Thomas Jcfierson was an explorer among the mounds. 
lie examined with considerable care a barrow on the low 
o-rounds of the Ravinna, and found that it contained not 
less than a thousand skeletons. He was presented with 
two "Indian busts," or idols, which were unearthed on 
the bank of the Cumberland River near Palmyra. He 
says: "The lineaments arc strongly marked and such as 



27 

are peculiar to the copper-colored aboriginal inhabitants 
of America." 

Du Pratz, in 1763, wrote the history of Louisiana, and 
Mr. Haywood the history of Tennessee in 1823. Both 
speak of the customs of the Indians, and Mr. Haywood 
describes some of the mounds. Du Pratz also speaks of 
the customs of the Natchez and describes the burial of the 
stung serpent, a description which will apply very well 
to the pyramid mounds situated near Natchez. Captain 
Romans describes a spot especially prepared and adapted 
for the dance. 

Dr. Brickell, in 1737, speaks of the Indians of North 
Carolina as wearing " great bobs in their ears and necklaces 
of money made from shells, and a sort of gorget that 
hangs on their collar whereon is engraved a cross or some 
sort of figure which comes to their fancy." Mr. Henry R. 
Schoolcraft also began explorations in 1820, and continued 
exploring and writing for nearly thirty years. His vol- 
umes are now relied upon mainly for information as to the 
manners and customs of Indians, their style of dress, 
and articles of industry. He made a record of their 
picture-writings, mide songs, secret societies. His works 
throw light on the previous conditions of the Indians. 

These writers help us to understand the customs of the 
Indians and to locate the diflerent tribes at the time of the 
first settlements of the Mississippi Valley. They do not, 
however, furnish nuich information concerning the Mound 
Builders, who were the original occupants of the Valley, 
and whose arts and customs were different from those of tiie 
tribes which followed ; as the explorers and traders soon 
modified these and introduced what might be called the 
protohistoric period. 

The archa'ological exploration may be said to have com- 
menced with Caleb Atwater of Ohio. At least, he was the 
first to explore among the mounds and to write a book 
upon the subject. Various discussions, to be sure, had 



been carried on before his time, and certain articles had 
been published by the American Philosophical Society, 
prepared by Mr. Sargent. 

We may say that the protohistoric relics are more diffi- 
cult to account for than either the prehistoric or the 
historic, and the Mound Builder problem is obscured by 
this uncertainty and the want of information concerning 
the Indians during this intervening period. Still there are 
early maps which reveal the geographical features of the 
interior and give the location of the Indian tribes and their 
central villages. The Iron Age was introduced by the 
white man after the times of the Discovery, but it brought 
confusion into the Archtvological record. These maps indi- 
cate not only a general acquaintance with the interior, but 
show that there were trading-posts located in that very 
region where the most important relics have been found. 
They furnish a hint as to the traffic which was carried on 
between the Indians and the ditierent nationalities, but 
furnished no history of it. It is only when we take this as 
the special point of study and examine the documents and 
maps, and follow up the routes of the traders, that we shall 
be able to understand the archaeology of this middle period, 
the period in which this Iron Age was introduced. 

There were certain impressions formed in this early 
period which were manifestly erroneous. It was a poi)ular 
sentiment of the time that great antiquity and a high grade 
of civilization were to be ascribed to the Mound Builders, 
and that even an alphabet belonged to them. As a result 
various frauds were practised. Among these we shall 
place the tablet taken from the Grave Creek mound in 
1838, the Holy Stone of Newark, the Pompcy Stone of 
New York, and worst of all, the copper plates dug up by 
Joe Smith and made the foundation of the Mormon Bible. 
The Cincinnati tablet was discovered about this time, but 
has since been pronounced a genuine })roduct of the 
so-called Mound Builder's age. The silver relics which 



29 

were discovered by Dr. Hildreth, and supposed to be the 
scabbard of a sword, have been exphiined in an article 
published by this Society, written by Prof. Frederic W. 
Putnam ; also in the Bulletin of the Peabody Museum. 

It was during the year 187G, and in connection with 
the centennial at Philadelphia, that a new impetus was 
given to exploration among the mounds. The American 
Antiquarian was established in 1878, and began to 
publish the accounts of such explorations. The Bureau 
of Ethnology was also established, and they began their 
various explorations. The theory adopted by the Bureau 
at once was that the Mound Builders were Indians, and 
that there was no perceptible difference between the 
relics and customs of the one and of the other. The 
theory advocated by the editor of the Atnerican Antiqua- 
rian was that there was a Mound Building age which 
should be distinguished from the period of Indian occupa- 
tion, and that the term "Mound Builders" should be 
retained. The position amounts to this : That the proto- 
historic period is different from the prehistoric, as it is 
marked by a different class of tokens, and by difierent 
customs ; and it is better to use the old terms which are 
understood, rather than new terms which need to be 
defined. 

The explorations under the Bureau of Ethnology have, 
however, not been confined to the mounds and earthworks ; 
but different persons have been sent into the interior to 
study the languages and myths of the various tribes. 
Others have been sent to make a note of the pictographs 
and petroglyphs which are so numerous throughout the 
Mississippi Valley. Certain individuals have also been com- 
missioned to make a thorough search for pahvolithic relics, 
and an examination of the gravel beds in which they were 
said to be found. This work of the Bureau of Ethnology 
has, however, been supplemented by the voluntary explo- 
rations of many private individuals, some of whom have 



30 

sent their reports to the Smithsonian to be published by 
them. Others have sent them to the various papers and 
periodicals. The Peabody Museum has also had exploring 
parties in the field during every year, and the Bulletins are 
full of brief, but comprehensive reports of the results that 
have followed. The various Historical Societies, Academies 
of Science, and Natural History Societies have had parties 
in the field, both as volunteers and as authorized repre- 
sentatives, and have published much valual)le material.^ 

The Society of Natural History of Cincinnati began ex- 
plorations near Madisonville, and gathered many relics into 
the cabinet. Dr. Charles Metz continued the work under 
the Peabody Museum. The Western Reserve Historical 
Society, under the direction of Col. Charles Whittlesey, 
continued exploring the region along the south shore 
of Lake Erie. Contents of shelter caves at Elyria were 
gathered by Mr. C. E. Baldwin. Plats of the old forts 
were drawn. The Davenport Academy of Science sent 
out exploring parties and secured a large collection of 
pottery from Arkansas and Missouri which had been gath- 
ered by Mr. W. H. Pratt, and a large collection of pipes 
which had been gathered by their own members. The 
Academy of Science and the Washington University at 
St. Louis instituted exploring parties among the ancient 
villages near New Madrid, and gathered a large collection. 
Large collections have been gathered by various historical 
societies and academies ; among them may be mentioned 
the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Academy of 
Science of Milwaukee ; also a few colleges, among which 
may be mentioned Beloit College, and the University of 
Ohio, though the colleges are generally remiss in preserv- 
ing relics and monuments in their own vicinity, and much 
information has been lost.- 

A few individuals have, at their own expense, persevered 

1 Archa;oloj,'ia Ainericana, Vol. 1. 
a Ibid., Vol. 2. 



31 

in exploring mounds and publishing reports. The writer 
began in 1878 exploring the effigy mounds of Wisconsin, 
with which he was familiar from childhood, and continued 
at intervals until nearly all the groups were visited and 
platted. An effort was made to secure appropriations frorji 
the legislature of Wisconsin, but failed. The results of 
these surveys were published in the magazine, and after- 
ward gathered in book form and published in 1890, — 
making the second volume of the series called Prehistoric 
America. 

Among other explorers may be mentioned Mr. W. K. 
Moorehead, who did a great deal of exploring at his own 
expense, and exhibited a valual)le collection at the Cincin- 
nati Exposition in 1890. He also published a book on Fort 
Ancient " compiled from a careful survey." Mr. William 
McAdams explored the region between the mouth of the 
Illinois River and the mouth of the Missouri, and gath- 
ered a valuable collection which was sold to the State and 
is now in the cabinet at Springfield. He also surveyed 
the works at Kahoka and platted a map of them. He 
published a small book called " Records of Ancient Races." 
Rev. J. T. MacLean explored many of the mounds of 
Southern Ohio under the auspices of the Smithsonian Insti- 
tution. Col. R. S. Robertson explored the mounds of 
Indiana, and published an account in the Smithsonian 
Reports. Prof. J. T. Short also published a book on the 
"North Americans of Antiquity; Their Origin, Migrations 
and types of Civilization Considered." The Canadian Insti- 
tute at Toronto began to collect relics from Canada includ- 
ing those from the ancient village sites of the Hurons and 
Iroquois. Mr. Geo. E. Laidlaw explored the regions farther 
north, and sent relics to the Institute. Mr. A. F. Berlin 
explored the regions near Allentown. Gen. G. P. Thurston 
carried on some very extensive explorations near Nashville, 
and published a very valuable book on the Antiquities of 
Tennessee. Mr. T. H. Lewis explored many localities. 



in Wisconsin, Missouri, Illinois, and Ohio, and gathered a 
very valuable collection, which is now in the keeping of 
McAllister College at Minneapolis. 

Mr. A. E. Douglass explored the mounds in Florida, 
and placed his collection in the Natural History Museum, 
Central Park, New York. Hon. Bela Hubbard explored 
the garden beds in Michigan and published a report of 
them in the American Antiquarian. Prof. John Todd 
explored mounds in Dakota, and published an account of 
the effigies of the serpent in the JSTaturaUst, under the 
title of "Bowlder Mosaics." 

The Columbian Exposition, at Chicago, gave new impulse 
to the work of exploring the Mississippi Valley, as well as 
that of visiting the native tribes throughout the entire west. 
Parties were formed and sent into Ohio. As a result, some 
remarkable discoveries were made. The Hopewell Mounds, 
which were situated in Clarke's Works and had been pre- 
viously examined, yielded the most valuable series of relics. 
A large amount of copper was exhumed here, and some 
relics which batfled the archieologists, since they resembled 
the European relics so strongly. Large collections were 
exhibited in the Illinois Building under the charge of Mr. 
William McAdams. Others, from Missouri and Illinois, 
were exhibited under the charge of William Seler. Also 
pottery from Arkansas under the charge of Mr. Riggs ; 
and the collections from Ohio and other localities under 
the charge of W. K. Moorehead. Mr. Harlan I. Smith, 
who explored mounds in Michigan, was employed in the 
Anthropological Building. These were subject to the 
examination of the gentlemen who attended the Congress 
of Anthr()i)()logy which was held on the ground. 

We close this review of the history of exploration, with 
congratulations to the American Antiquarian Society which 
began so early to encourage the scholars and scientific men 
in their work, and are free to say that the work which this 
Society has taken upon itself is destined to have a great 



33 

effect upon the three departments of science to which we 
have called attention. The gathering of archaeological relics 
has been relegated to the museums and archa3ological socie- 
ties, but the gathering of books and maps which throw light 
upon the history of exploration is still going on. The 
comparison of the descriptions contained in the books and 
the maps with the relics which are gathered into the 
museums will enable us to draw the picture of this Missis- 
sippi Valley as it was at the time of the discovery, and also 
enable us to mark the changes which occurred up to the 
time of the settlement by the whites. The history of this 
valley may be divided into three periods, — that which 
belonged purely to the the Aborigines ; that which shows 
the mingling of the Aborigines Avith the whites ; and that 
which treats of its complete occupation by the whites. 
All three periods having been embraced by the Society from 
the outset as its special provinces into which it was to enter. 
It is fortunate that the American Antiquarian Society 
and the Smithsonian Institution were established at that 
period when settlement was rapidly increasing, and when 
the tribes east of the Mississi[)pi were so rapidly disappear- 
ing ; for the treatises on the languages of the Indians and 
the works of the Mound Builders have by this means been 
preserved. We must not forget that the American Phil- 
osophical Society was established, and that certain treatises 
were published by that Society. The geologists also were 
thoughtful and took pains to survey the mounds. The best 
work on the subject is the one which was published by the 
Smithsonian, as its first contribution, under the title of 
"The Ancient Monuments in the Mississippi Valley." 
This volume included the results which have been furnished 
by other explorers, — the eccentric Kafinesque ; Mr. Mc- 
Bride in Ohio and in Mississippi ; Mr. James Hough in 
Louisiana; S. Taylor, li. C. Taylor, and 11. C. Locke 
among the effigy mounds of Wisconsin. ^ 



1 The Sptiuish intrusioD into the region occupied by the southern Mound 



34 

It is due to the American Antiquarian Society that Mr. 
Atwater's investigations were made, and his "Description 
of the Antiquities discovered in the State of Ohio and 
other Western States," published ; and it is also owing to 
the cooperation of this Society with the Smithsonian that 
the interesting work on "The Antiquities of Wisconsin, 
as Surveyed and Described," by Dr. Increase A. Lapham, 
was undertaken and published. The same society published 
also the valuable work of Albert Gallatin on "A Synopsis 
of the Indian Tribes of the North America," — a work 
which has proved to be the foundation of most of the 
linguistic studies which have followed. Mr. Gallatin's 
system has not been supplanted by any new theory or 
classification. 

It is very gratifying that the Society has accumulated 
such a valuable collection of books, maps and original doc- 
uments, all which will be so useful to students in following 
lines of investigation as to the three periods referred to 
above ; especially so that the publications have not been 



Builders began with Ponce de Leon in 1512, and De Allouez in 1520, and by 
De Soto in 15:59, and continued to modify tlie art products for many years. 
The French intrusion, commenced in 1534 under Jacques Cartier, continued 
under Champlain, Dulutli, La Salle, Nieolet, Joliet, and others in K^SO; first 
among tlie Iroquois in New York and afterward among the Algonquins in Illi- 
nois. The English trade began with the Algonquins or Powhattans under 
Capt. John Smith, 1G07 extended to Pennsylvania, IGO!) to New York and Ohio, 
and finally formed a cordon of factories along the Indian trails and near the 
portages throughout the entire valley of the Ohio. English settlements and 
also l'>nglish factories were established at an early date among the Southern 
tribes, such as the Chicasaws, Choctaws and Creeks, as may be seen by the 
study of the maps above. 

The history of the Dutch trade with the Indians is not so well known. " The 
Algon<|uin stock, commencing with John Cabot, were taught in tlu' industrial 
arts by French, Dutch, Swedes, and English Puritans, (Quakers and loyalists, 
who contributed to their outfits iron arrow-heads, knives, saws, files, drills, 
fish-hooks, and guns, and having cajoled them out of the knack of their native 
arts put them into close intimacy with the blacksmith, gunsmith and the wood- 
worker."— [I''rom The Amf'.rlcan Anl/iropdlotjist. 

The Scandinavian trade began under the Norst^man in 900 with the tribes in 
New England, and no doubt modified the arts of tlie AboriL'ines; thus intro- 
ducing the Iron Age into America nearly 1,000 years ag<j. 



35 

confined to any one province or locality, but have embraced 
the entire continent ; the history of the exploration of the 
Mississippi valley having been from the outset very prom- 
inent, and those who were dwelling in the great valley 
having frequently contributed to those publications. May 
we not predict for the Society on this account a future of 
greater usefulness and an influence which will extend to all 
parts of the continent, thus perpetuating the names of the 
early explorers and the later historians for many genera- 
tions to come. 



Note by Committee of Publication.— The maps used in connection 
■\vitli the foregoing article are talven from Mr. Winsor's valuable works 
ou "The Mississippi Basin," and "From Cartier to Frontcnac," by 
arrangement -with him and his publishers, Messrs. Houghton, Mifflin 
&Co. 



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